Lyndon Johnson Administration:
Official Expresses Concern About
Israel Becoming Too Close to U.S.

(January 6, 1968)

The Under Secretary for Political
Affairs, Walt Rostow, makes several interesting
points in this message to President Johnson.
He sees Israel's foreign policy largely
as a failure and believes Prime Minister Levi
Eshkol wants the U.S. to become its
principal arms supplier. Rostow also
notes that Israel is willing to bargain
for U.S. help, acquiescencing in U.S.
support for Jordan and offering to support
Johnson's Vietnam policy.

We sent to you in the pouch early this morning two
late memos on Eshkol from Dick Helms without comment. After reflecting
on them this morning, I find that they bring the following points into
sharper focus:

1. More than just seeking a specific number of aircraft,
Eshkol may be looking for a firmer commitment to Israel's security.
He must understand that security guarantees and treaties are out, but
he may seek a guaranteed source of arms. According to Dick's plausible
report, the June war destroyed Eshkol's policy of putting out as many
support lines as possible. His French and Russian policies are bankrupt,
and he now seeks the closest possible tie with us.

2. To seal this relationship, he may come offering
to associate Israel with our position in Vietnam.

3. He is apparently willing to acquiesce in our resuming
military aid to Jordan. To do otherwise would be inconsistent with his
increased fear of the USSR.

If this report is true
 and we have to make the normal
allowance for the fact that it reflects
only one [less than 1 line of source
text not declassified] man's opinion
 it raises the problem of Eshkol
trying to get too close to us. His possible
offer to associate with us on Vietnam
runs the risk of sharpening the image
of Israel as our stooge and driving the
wedge further between us and the Arabs.
We want to consider whether Eshkol's
quiet support wouldn't help you as much
while avoiding damage abroad.

It's hard to know how much the Israelis are pushing
the Soviet threat merely to justify their case for more arms.